Three for the Last Time
by EluredandElurin
Summary: Amy and Rory are gone, but River is still determined to get the Doctor back in line.
1. Chapter 1

River Song walked into an orphanage in America during the late 1920's. She looked around, surveying the place, and clucked in disapproval. The manager skittered nervously to stand at her elbow.

"We've tried to make things better, but really, times are getting hard and-"

"Well done, then," the time traveller said distantly, so noncommittally that the manager took offense.

"In fact, we're the best orphanage of the times!"

"I'll talk to them, take a look about, be right back." River opened a door, peeking in. Children were seated in sterile cots placed in neat rows, chatting idly. They stopped when they saw her.

"What're you doing here, ma'am?" A little boy peered up at her through thick spectacles.

"Why, I've a story to tell you! And yes, I am technically English or British, depending on the time. I was born on some other planet, actually, but I am English. I think."

The kids crowded this strange woman, tugging her by the hand into the room. They sat in the middle of the room, all around River.

"There was once a man, in fact there still is, who goes by the name of Doctor. This man is extraordinary, he has two hearts and twelve lives. He's always sad and happy and afraid and angry. He's saved the world more times than can be counted.

"The Doctor travels with people called companions. He's had many through the ages, and since he lives so long he's lost many. One enemy he's faced is the Weeping Angels, statues that can move very fast, so fast that they can cover a great distance when you so much as blink. But they can't move when you're watching them.

"These creatures took a man named Rory, sent him back in time to feed on his potential energy. He and his wife were companions to the Doctor. Well, his wife loved him so much that she wanted the Angel to send her back in time too, in case she might reunite them.

"The Doctor is a time traveller, have I mentioned that? He's got a big blue box that travels through time and space. You'd expect that he could go back in time, collect these people and go on his way. But he'd already seen that this was their last encounter and couldn't change that. So he misses them a lot, and stopped saving the world that was so cruel to him." The children frowned at this abrupt ending, but some frowned in concern for the world. As River was off, walking down the street, a little red-headed girl raced out.

"I want to help the Doctor."

"Yeah?"

"He's sad. He's lost people. I want to help him." Neither commented on the fact that he might be fictional.

"We believe that they were sent to the late 1930's, in this beautiful city of New York City. You need to find Amy Pond and Rory Williams, when they arrive. If I remember correctly, voice recorders are invented soon enough. Record a message from them to the Doctor, whatever they want to say. Keep it, and I'll come to maybe 1950, get it from you, okay? What's your name, by the way?"

"I'm Rosalind Anderson."

"An orphan with a last name?"

"Sort of, 'cept I'm still waiting for my parents to come get me. They will, I know it." The little girl was so cheery that it nearly broke River's heart. She looked to be only ten years old.

"See you in twenty some-odd years, Rosalind Anderson."

The time vortex manipulator refused to stop in 1951, then each subsequent year until 1959 came. River looked around at the city, filled with people and buildings on the fall day.

River strode confidently, as she always did, finding an important looking, government type building.

"Do you have records on a certain Rosalind Anderson?"

The two bored looking men sat up straight, maybe stunned by the sly look in her eyes, or maybe by the accent. They hurried to find records, pulling them up on computers.

"She lived at 34 2nd street-"

"Lived?"

"She's apparently, um, dead, though the cause hasn't been documented."

"Thank you, boys!" With that, River left. She found the address easily, somewhat apprehensive of what she'd find. A man opened the door.

He looked middle aged, but his eyes were old and sad. He had thick spectacles. "Yes?"

"My name's River Song, I came to see Rosalind."

"Rosalind is dead," the man said flatly.

"But-"

"She died in a car crash a couple of months ago."

"I- I'm sorry." River was shaken to see the man's eyes shining with unshed tears.

"She used to tell me about how you gave her the task to make the Doctor happy again. She was so excited to find those people you described, so hopeful all the time. So I have to thank you for that."

"That wasn't me, that was her, being a sweet girl."

"Might as well come in." River sat in a sitting room, blackened flowers in a vase on the table, while the man ran to get something. There were boxes everywhere, shoved to the sides, and the house appeared bare. The man came back with a tape recorder.

"Rosalind said to give this to you if you ever came, made sure to tell me in case something happened." River took it, unsure of what else to do.

"Thank you, sir. Perhaps the Doctor will find hope from it."

"Wait, just tell me the truth. Did a time-traveling man with two hearts ever exist?"

River smiled. "If you want to say it that way, I can say yes for sure."

"That's not even possible!"

"I'm barely a day older than when Rosalind saw me first. That was thirty years ago. And just to be on the safe side, watch." A slight flash occurred and River disappeared. The man gaped.

River found the Doctor wandering through London, head hung in self-pity. "Hello, sweetie." He barely looked up.

"What is it?"

"Did you ever wonder what I've been doing?"

"No."

"Well, here and you're welcome in advance." River handed the recorder over, then disappeared in a flash.

 **Thanks for reading my bad first attempt at Doctor Who fan fiction. If you don't want to have to claw your eyes out at the bad quality of writing these days, please review so I can improve! Seriously, I don't mind criticism as long is it's a review. :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor looked at the mostly rectangular device, then turned around slowly to head for the TARDIS. He kept telling himself that it didn't matter, the world had failed him and taken Clara again.

But still. The recorder tasted like it was from the early days of its invention, the 1930's. and the 1930's sounded like the Ponds. It wasn't possible, of course... He argued with himself, finally entering the TARDIS and then playing the recording.

"Does this thing even work? It's so bulky, really." Amy. His heart leapt. "Rory, is it on?"

"Uh- sort of maybe?"

"Whatever, I'll talk at it anyways. Hullo, Doctor. My Raggedy Man. How are things? River's a genius, and she sent this girl to tell us that we can finally say goodbye properly. But first, I'll say that we're doing good for being around the Great Depression and all. Turns out I'm a budding writer, did you know that? And you already knew that Rory was a nurse, I think he'll become a real doctor soon enough."

"Yup, it's great out here, a bit boring, a bit primitive, but we're surviving quite well. We're thinking of adopting a kid, giving him a letter to one day deliver to Dad, so you don't have to feel guilty and all that." A smacking sound was made. "Ow! What?!"

"Ignore him. We've got to say bye before the tape runs out, so goodbye. And since this is my last chance to say it, Doctor, I love you. My childhood imaginary friend, my madman with a blue box."

"Yeah, same as what she said. We'll really miss you. Y' know, I didn't like you at first, but now you can't get to my wife I'm good."

"Don't say that was a joke, please."

"Yes, that was very much supposed to be a joke. Thanks Amy."

"Are we just going to have a conversation, record it and send it to the Doctor? That feels weird."

"The Doctor likes the sound of your voice, I know that." Another smacking sound. "I'm sorry, but it is true."

"Little girl, don't do this to your husband one day," Rory cautioned, "It's not nice."

"Who is the Doctor? Did you go on adventures with him?" The little girl sounded eager for the answer.

"That is a good idea, isn't it? I'll just say who the Doctor is, and he can hear it and gloat over himself. I met him first when I was little, and oh fish fingers and custard." Amy told the little girl her story, and Rory filled in bits and pieces that she missed. The Doctor listened as Amy described his misadventures and adventures, smiling slightly at the frank way she spoke. He listened to it once, then again and again and again.

The fourth time, he noticed what the last line truly said. "Hurry on up, Doctor, get yourself a companion. Are you listening? Hiiiii. Hello. I don't think you-" then the recording ended. Another companion? Perhaps he should get a new one.

"Clara. Oswin. Oswald. Watch me run."

 **Hooray! I got a review. An actual, real life review! Thank you Nienna14 :-). On a completely different topic, if I'm plagiarizing anyone or stealing their idea that they've already written or something, please tell me. I'd hate to have accidentally done something like that.**


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